If you’ve ever thrown your back out sneezing (hey, it happens), you’ll feel for Dolly. In 2026, she revealed she’d been dealing with chronic back pain for years. She once joked that her back hurts so bad, she “can’t even sneeze without it hurting.” Ouch.
But here’s the wild part: she kept touring. She’d wear those corsets and heels while her back was screaming “No!” She even said she’d sometimes crawl to the bathroom in her tour bus because standing was too painful. That’s dedication—or stubbornness, take your pick.
What caused it? Years of lifting heavy equipment, wearing crazy stage costumes, and probably just the sheer gravity of being Dolly Parton. She eventually had to cancel some tour dates in 2026. But get this: she still wrote songs from her bed while recovering. Queen behavior, right?
The Car Accident That Shook Her Up
Remember that 2017 car crash? Dolly was in a head-on collision in Nashville. She walked away with bruises and a messed-up shoulder. But she didn’t even miss a show—she performed with a sling on, because obviously.
She later admitted the accident gave her anxiety behind the wheel—something she rarely talks about. “I just don’t drive much anymore,” she said in an interview. “I let my husband Carl do it.” Fair enough, honestly. Who wants to face Nashville traffic after that?
